An Evening with the Seniors

It was a casual evening of popcorn, sweatshirts and jeans, as the Franciscan University basketball seniors sat down with their sports information director to discuss (among other things) their love of the game, life as a student-athlete, and importance of team chemistry.

All seven seniors shared a similar goal for why they attended Franciscan: to absorb the Catholic environment of the University and play some ball.  Regardless if they played all four years or just two, each senior racked up plenty of memories. Here Cara Mitchell, Jess Belleque, Mike Feuz, Dan O’Brien, Josh Ducoulombier, Pete Burak, and Matt Liedel collectively reveal a few:

You all have seen your fair share of games – home and away.  What are your sentiments about our fans? We, by far, have the best fans in the conference.  We barely notice the fans at other schools.  Our fans have great personal cheers, like calling Josh “Baby Duke” [Ducoulombier], or whenever Mike [Feuz] makes a good play they cheer: “You got the dynamite we got the Feuz”. And don’t forget how they cheer “Go bananas, go, go bananas” then, literally, the fans go bananas.

Every athlete has a game that sticks out the most in his or her season.  Care to share, Lady Barons?  Definitely the win against D’Youville this season!  We showed confidence and we were all so focused – on the bench and on the court. And how about the Barons? Our 67-64 victory over the Penn State Behrend, ranked second in the AMCC, was an all-around team effort.  The funny thing was we had to awkwardly wait beside them post-game while both our locker rooms were opened.  So celebrating didn’t start until we were inside the locker room.

What it the thing you won’t miss about being an athlete after you graduate, and what is the thing you will miss the most? The men will definitely not miss moving the cumbersome hoops around the court! Though we all will miss the gym in general. And the hot tubs! We will miss the hot tubs – our locker rooms are the only ones in the conference that have them. Who can forget the baton twirler and the pep band? We loved what they added to the games.

Are there any fellow student athletes that you look up to or admire? We [the Barons] all look to Dan O’Brien – he always works extra hard.  He is doing extra pushups and extra workouts when the rest of us are ready to shower. Marian Weber’s heart for the game really stands out to us [the Lady Barons].  She gives 100% every game; it’s so inspiring.

How does the spirituality of Franciscan affect you as an athlete and vice versa, how does your time on the court affect your spirituality? The spirituality here adds a whole other element to basketball. We are not just playing for more wins over losses, but we are playing to glorify God and use the gifts he has given us. Interestingly, as we learn how to apply these lessons of determination, focus and thanksgiving in basketball, we apply them to our spiritual life as well. And sharing a love of the sport and a love for our spirituality brings us all closer together.

Any final words to pass on to future Franciscan University basketball players? Try and become as close as a team as possible. Building those relationships constantly builds up team chemistry and improves the success of your team. Once you have that camaraderie, don’t take it for granted because time goes by so fast. Go all out, always.